President Obama has long held that Afghanistan is a key battleground in the War on Terror, and for that reason, has maintained a commitment to a mission that began back in October 2001. But the exact form of that mission is in flux.

New York Times foreign correspondent Rod Nordland, explains a change in policy in Afghanistan. He explains that a long expected robust military push in Kandahar province has been delayed and may be changing its goals from strictly military objectives to civilian reconstruction efforts. Nordland writes that the shift comes in response to widespread opposition to military action from the local population and Afghan officials in Kabul. There may also be some concession that the "frontal military approach" of the past has not worked well in parts of Afghanistan.